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Tag Archives: wildflowers

Mountain Summertime

If I could I’d be up in the mountains most of the summer. But that’s not practical. There’s work to do, a house and yard to keep up, and various other commitments in this life. Yesterday I played hooky from the computer taskmaster and headed to one of my favorite places – Slate Peak. I’ve made up my own hike and returned to it each year in mid-summer. Combining two trails, a bit of a cross-country climb and a walk down on a road I’ve come up with a nearly four-mile loop hike through the high Cascades of northern Washington. Last summer Mary from Montana joined me on this hike and you can see images from that day here. As you can see, it’s vastly different this year. Even accounting for the two week difference in dates the differences are huge. Yesterday there was no snow. Anywhere. Most of the little creeks are already dry. The wildflowers are far less numerous.

Here are the images from yesterday’s hike.

Down that steep talus slope, across the basin, up to the ridge to the next trail and then up to Slate Peak. Follow the road on the other side of the ridge back to the car.
Quit fooling with your pack and let’s get going!
Slate Peak
Oh gosh, she’s making another picture!
Looks like we’ve already gone a long way.
Gentian is one of my favorite wildflowers
I don’t know this one.
I used to know this one.
Paintbrush. There are so many variations in this colorful wildflower.
Paintbrush
Paintbrush
Painbrush
Painbrush
Mouse on a stick
Another one I’ve forgotten
Pretty umbel flower
Late for columbine
Pink monkeyflower
Normally this monkeyflower would bloom over a creek. This creek bed is dry
Downstream a few tiny pools for animals to get a drink
Waiting in the shade while I work my way slowly up to the ridgetop
This Common Raven has learned that people like to eat their lunch at the lookout
Sky thought she could put a sneak on raven
Raven simply unfolded her wings and was instantly airborne
Mount Baker, a semi-active volcano near Bellingham
Layers of mountains in the North Cascades
You can see a tiny view of Glacier Peak here. It’s another of our volcanic mountains.
North to Canada
Upper end of the Pasayten River which flows north into Canada
On the left you can see remnants of 100 year old gold mining operations
And looking down valley towards Winthrop you can see smoke from the Wolverine wildfire on the shore of Lake Chelan.

 

Tiffany Mountain Wildflowers

We were at Tiffany for the peak of the fireweed (Chamerion angustifolium) bloom! This tall lavender-pink perennial often comes in after a fire. The Tripod fire burned there nearly ten years ago and the fireweed is still very abundant. I was surprised to learn that its pollen turns blue as the flowers mature. The dogs were spotted with the fine powdery blue pollen. Lots of the wildflowers had mostly finished blooming but we did find some colorful blooms to entertain us along the way.

Agoseris
Buckwheat
Paintbrush
I wonder how many species are in this image?
Aster
Blue pollen

Blue Lake Cool

A couple days ago, the dogs and I got up and out early in the morning to find some respite from the heat. We made the short drive to the Blue Lake trailhead and were on the trail by 7:30! The forest was cool and damp and there were dew drops on the shrubs. We haven’t had dew in the valley for quite a while. At home the temperature continues to linger in the high 90’s and low 100’s during the afternoon so we needed a break. ‘They’ say there will be a break in this heat but with that break we have the promise of lightning.

Wildflowers were lush along parts of the trail. Crossing an avalanche chute, the views opened up into the North Cascades. At the lake we enjoyed the sight of the back of Liberty Bell, the iconic rock formation that dominates the horizon at Washington Pass.

We were the first to make the 2.2 mile hike that morning and had the lake nearly to ourselves all the time we were there. Going down, after we passed the halfway mark, we saw numerous hikers going up in the growing heat of the day. I imagine a few of them enjoyed the waters of Blue Lake almost as much as Sky did.

Interesting yellow fungus. It resembled cauliflower.
X marks the spot in the trail
What’s the big deal?
Luna liked the snow better than the lake!
I just know that mom will be so pleased if I can get this big stick and carry it to her!
A mud bath really made Luna happy.
Do we have to leave?
Just one more swim before we go
We did not see of these habituated goats. Whew.

Trying to Keep Cool

This last week has featured temperatures over 100 degrees, Fahrenheit! Our house is not designed for extremes of heat and it is difficult to keep it anywhere near a comfortable temperature. Outside, it’s been too hot to do things that need to be done. While we ignore them, the weeds grow gleefully upward, blooming and spreading their seeds. What’s a person or dog to do?

Ignore the weeds; that’s for sure.

Sunday the thermometer topped out at 110! In the morning we took the dogs and a PFD and some floaty toys and went to the lake. We got an early start so we could find a coveted place big enough for us and the dogs without bothering other recreaters. There were several rowing sculls on the water and a canoe and some people swimming for exercise or fun. The dogs were ecstatic and we threw and threw their bumpers. When I thought they might be tiring, I put them away. Sky disappeared into the bushes and came out with a brand new tennis ball! That dog has a nose for tennis balls. If you ever lose one, call on Sky and she will find it for you. But then you have to throw it for her. Again and again. We floated around in the water with PFD, just relaxing and enjoying the cooling lake. Back at home, we all felt somewhat rejuvenated and got a little bit of work done.

Late in the afternoon we packed up a picnic and drove to Harts Pass at about 6100 feet elevation. It was much cooler up there – in the sixties and it felt SO good. There was a threat of thunder storms and we had a little bit of light rain but nothing that chased us away. Ken chatted with a fellow who had just started the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), traveling north to south. He plans to arrive at Mexico in November. We wished him good luck. The mosquitoes were annoying when we ate our picnic so we ate fast. Then we headed out for a short walk on the PCT. We were greeted by pikas, hoary marmots, Swainson’s Thrushes and a few wildflowers. There were small patches of snow – nothing like last year. It’s already very dry. Many of the creeks are quite low or even dry and it’s not even July. Compare that with a day on the same part of the trail last year in July here.  The flowers are not as floriferous either.

 

 

This dog accompanied a long distance swimmer back and forth across the lake
Shooting stars in full bloom
Bog orchid
Elephant head
Heather
Silver forest from an old burn
Silky phacelia
Luna was SO happy to see snow
This is the snow field featured near the bottom of the blog post from last summer.
Clearly, I am equipped for whatever the day has to offer.
Jacob’s ladder
columbine
Something like fireweed but not fireweed
Phlox
Slate Peak. It’s pretty obvious from this point of view that the top was removed before the lookout was installed
Silky phacelia
Did you lose a glove?
Native rhododendron
Rosy pussytoes
Native rhododendron
Phlox with raindrops

 

 

Methow Valley Spring

The wildflowers have been been stunning these last few weeks. They started early and as expected, they are fading early too. Maybe the morning’s rainfall will bring on a new flush of color. Hummingbirds and swallows continue to be a big presence at our house. I thought the hummers would not settle in after last year’s fire but they seem to be just about as numerous and as ravenous for the juice I put in the feeders each day. I’m afraid I’ve created a bunch of tiny sugar addicts. There are Rufous, Calliope and now Black-chinned Hummingbirds here. Occasionally, especially in the fall, we see Anna’s Hummingbirds. Here are a few images from the past couple of weeks.

From the hill above our house, above the fireline
Balsamroot so deep, you can only see puppy dog tails!
Tent caterpillars on bitterbrush
Lupine
Death camas
Geum triflorum, prairie smoke or old man’s whiskers. It survived the fire.
Violet-green Swallow
Hummingbirds can be very territorial
Calliope Hummingbird male
Blue, a type of butterfly
More blues
Painted lady
Hillsides carpeted in balsamroot above Pearrygin Lake
Mountains over Pearrygin Lake with serviceberry in the foreground